The genus Ilex is member of the holly family, Aquifoliaceae, and is found worldwide in subtropical and tropical regions of both hemispheres. I. paraguariensis referred to as maté or yerba maté is a perennial tree indigenous to areas of southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is the most commercialized plant of South America (1, 2). Aerial parts of the tree, including stems and leaves, are used to prepare a tea-like beverage known as maté or “Paraguay tea” (3). The majority of maté produced is locally consumed, with production and consumption levels highest in Argentina (4). In 1997, average annual maté consumption was 5.14 kg/person in Argentina and 6-8 kg/person in Uruguay (5). It has been estimated that 70% of adult males and 50% of adult females in South Brazil are daily maté drinkers. Approximately, 30% of the South American population consumes more than 1 liter of maté daily (2). More recently, the use of maté as a tea beverage and Ilex extracts as nutraceutical medicine has grown rapidly in North America and Europe.
The maté beverage is consumed primarily as an infusion, either by the addition of boiling water to the dry plant material, or by repeated additions of almost boiling water to the dry plant material. This infusion allows for extraction of water soluble plant constituents. Exposure of persons who drink maté beverage to such compounds is significant given the numbers of people and amount of maté beverage consumed. In addition to the stimulating effect of maté due to its high methylxanthine content, particularly caffeine, mate has traditionally been used as a natural medicine for arthritis, constipation, hemorrhoids, slow digestion, fatigue, hepatic disorders, headache, rheumatism, hypertension, nervous depression, improved cognition and obesity (2,6). The principal stimulant and diuretic effects of maté have been attributed to the content of caffeine (7). The estimates for caffeine intake due to maté beverage consumption far exceeds the caffeine intake known for other beverages such as coffee and tea.
One outcome of consumption of maté beverage and conventional nutraceutical Ilex extractions is the development of caffeine related disorders such as gastrointestinal problems, caffeine toxicity, jitteriness, generalized anxiety, and insomnia. The consumption of caffeine exaggerates stress and stress-related hormone release. Blood pressure is elevated and the risks for heart attack and stroke are increased when excessive caffeine is consumed. Because maté beverage is such a part of the social structure and cultural habits of so many people and the fact that it is being increasingly consumed as a nutraceutical medicinal agent, reducing the amount of maté consumed does not appear to be a viable method for reducing caffeine consumption.
An additional problem is that the maté that is consumed is made from raw maté plant material, which has varying amounts of caffeine when consumed drink to drink or dose to dose. This variability can cause confusing symptoms in users, hence, making the diagnosis of physiological problems difficult for clinicians. Furthermore, such variability can cause uneven results when maté is used for treatment of various physiological conditions. A issue with maté use is that clinical and epidemiological studies have found a positive association between maté consumption and cancer of the esophagus, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and bladder (5, 12, 17, 18, 19).
What is needed is are methods for extracting Ilex and Ilex compositions with reduced caffeine concentration having a predetermined alkaloid profile and reduced tannin constituents, and compositions that can be produced with standardized and reliable amounts of Ilex constituents.